


For Want of a Scarf

by misura



Category: The Watchmaker of Filigree Street - Natasha Pulley
Genre: Bickering, Domestic Fluff, Katsu (The Watchmaker of Filigree Street) Lives, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-18
Updated: 2019-12-18
Packaged: 2021-02-25 23:20:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,562
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21833566
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/misura/pseuds/misura
Summary: "I'll go hunt for a new scarf tomorrow," tried Thaniel. He felt it a fair peace offering."Don't get that hideous grey and brown thing simply because it's warm and cheap. I don't want to feel embarrassed to be seen with you," said Mori.
Relationships: Keita Mori/Thaniel Steepleton
Comments: 14
Kudos: 71
Collections: Yuletide 2019





	For Want of a Scarf

**Author's Note:**

  * For [codswallop](https://archiveofourown.org/users/codswallop/gifts).



A recovered Katsu seemed to have made off with Thaniel's scarf when he'd woken up. Thaniel had (very) briefly considered borrowing Mori's - it had been laid out as if to tempt him, except that the colors put him in mind of a particularly well-lit and gaudy fairground, so he had left it behind, telling himself he'd be fine without.

In the evening, of course, he'd found the weather had taken a bit of a turn and he'd arrived back home thoroughly chilled and far too aware that he only had himself to blame for his circumstances.

"There's some hot chocolate," said Mori, not looking up from his telescope.

Thaniel knew when he was being punished and when Mori was merely busy. This was the former, which he decided was a bit harsh. Mori could have been more explicit, or pressed the scarf on him in person, and all would have been well.

Mori sniffed. "You would have left it behind even so."

"Don't underestimate your powers of persuasion," said Thaniel. He meant it, more or less; Grace had told him, once, that living with Mori would turn him into a clockwork man, or less than a man. That had been nonsense, obviously, offensive both to Mori's personality and Thaniel's.

Mori had far simpler means to control him, methods requiring no knowledge of the future whatsoever.

"I'm not underestimating anything," said Mori, sniffing again. "Rather, I don't see any reason to kiss you solely so you'll act like a sensible human being, that is all."

Thaniel supposed it was a fair enough sentiment, even if he didn't think he would have minded. Being persuaded by Mori - well, there were far worse ways to start one's day.

He poured himself a cup of hot chocolate, putting it down to look for some biscuits, considering whether or not to risk an offer of tea. When he looked down again, the cup was gone, carried off by Katsu in Mori's direction.

Thaniel wondered if Katsu, too, felt the chill or if this was merely a slight variation on Katu's previous tendency to steal socks and shiny objects. He got himself a second cup before following the octopus, still musing on the answer to that question, as well as the one whether or not it was wrong of him to think of it as Katsu.

Mori had delivered a lengthy-for-him lecture on why simply because something moved, acted and looked like something you had previously known, that did not automatically mean you could assume it to be the same. Thaniel agreed with the principle, but he'd also noted Mori's failure to give the new octopus a name, and so he did not at all see how he could avoid slipping into the habit of considering it another Katsu - made with some additional parts, perhaps, but fundamentally still the octopus who had once broken out of his dresser.

"Thank you," Mori told Katsu as it carefully deposited the cup of hot chocolate on the table.

"Biscuit?" offered Thaniel, feeling just a bit manipulative. Still, it was never pleasant to have Mori be in a bad mood.

Mori ignored him.

Thaniel comforted himself with the hot chocolate, which was excellent, and a biscuit, which could have been fresher, but then, it came from a batch Mori had baked almost a week ago.

"I'll go hunt for a new scarf tomorrow," tried Thaniel. He felt it a fair peace offering.

"Don't get that hideous grey and brown thing simply because it's warm and cheap. I don't want to feel embarrassed to be seen with you," said Mori. He still hadn't looked away from his work.

"Warm is a good quality for a scarf, isn't it?" Thaniel almost wanted to suggest Mori accompany him, if the matter was of such vital importance, but he did not think that his purchases would be all that much to his taste if he did. He might as well stay at home and let Mori buy his clothes; it would be less work.

Mori raised his head at last and scowled at him. "If a scarf isn't warm, it fails at being a scarf."

Katsu stretched out a few hopeful tentacles in the direction of Thaniel's hot chocolate, so Thaniel picked up his cup, determined to keep this one. "I suppose so."

Mori sighed. "See? You're getting a cold and then next thing you know, I'll catch it, too."

Thaniel opened his mouth to reply but surprised himself by sneezing instead.

Mori sighed again. "Yes, it does."

"Just because I sneezed once, that doesn't mean I'm coming down with anything," said Thaniel, realizing that Mori was responding to things Thaniel hadn't yet said. He decided to forge ahead even so, reasoning that as long as Mori was cross with him, at least nothing he said or did would make matters worse. "And anyway, it's nothing to do with my not wearing a scarf, I'm sure."

"That's only because you are an idiot," said Mori, but at least he hadn't gone back to work and was replying to something Thaniel had actually said. Those were good signs, Thaniel thought.

He felt a second sneeze itching at the back of his nose. That was not as good a sign. He wondered if Mori had already heard him.

"You can stay home the day after tomorrow and make me tea," said Mori. "I've done the shopping for the next few days, so there won't be any danger of us starving."

"That is a considerable relief," said Thaniel. He tried not to sound too sarcastic, but he didn't think he entirely succeeded.

"Some of us don't feel that a bit of consideration for one's fellow man is too much to ask for," said Mori, putting down his empty cup. Katsu abruptly stopped reaching for Thaniel's and headed for Mori's instead. "You could have gotten a new scarf this afternoon, or during your lunch break."

In fairness, Thaniel had considered it, but it had seemed like too much trouble.

Katsu picked up Mori's cup and started carrying off its prize to the kitchen. Thaniel allowed himself one moment's hope that it would take care of the washing-up next, but that, he knew, would be entirely too practical. Mori had not made a clockwork octopus to do housework.

"I'm sorry," said Thaniel. "If I really caused you to - " but that wasn't the sort of thing one told Mori. "If I'd known that I could keep you from getting a cold by wearing a scarf tonight, I would have done so."

"I see," said Mori. "So now it's all my own fault."

There came some sounds from the kitchen suggesting someone was knocking pans together.

"Would you like me to give you a hand with dinner, or are Katsu's eight hands going to do that?" Thaniel had apologized; he felt that ought to be enough. If Mori disagreed, he could say so, and almost certainly would, likely as not with a suggestion for what Thaniel might do to make it up to him.

Thaniel only hoped there would be no scarf-shopping or chopstick-lessons involved.

Mori scoffed. "He could hardly be less help than you. All my attempts to teach you notwithstanding, you're still hopeless. I dread to think of what you'll feed me this Thursday."

"People with colds often lose their sense of taste, so I wouldn't worry too much," said Thaniel.

Mori did not look very comforted. "Fine. I suppose there's not much to be done about it now, anyway. Still, I don't think it's too much to ask you to take care of yourself. I'm already doing all the cooking."

Thaniel did his fair share of work around the house as well, he rather thought. "I'm sorry," he repeated. "I didn't know."

"Yes, yes, the blame belongs entirely to me, you've made that clear already." The sounds from the kitchen stopped and then resumed. "Now, let's go do something about dinner. There's some sweets for dessert, and then you can have a hot bath and turn in early while I finish up some work."

Mori was standing right in front of him. Thaniel knew he oughtn't - but he also knew that some people might say there were a number of things he oughtn't have done and had done regardless; he hadn't cared a fig about their opinion then and didn't now.

Some of the tension seemed to go out of Mori as Thaniel kissed him. Mori tasted faintly of chocolate. Thaniel imagined he himself did, too. He brought up his hands, but that turned out to be too much: Mori stepped back, saying, "No, no, they're much too cold, haven't you done enough already?"

"I'm sorry." It was the third time he'd apologized.

"Oh, do stop saying that," said Mori. "It gets rather monotonous and besides, what good does it do? Next time, I'll be more forceful. Lesson learned, let us move past it now."

Thaniel kissed him again, feeling the way Mori's mouth softened under his own, careful to keep his still cold hands away from anywhere they might offend Mori. He'd kissed Mori before; he would do so again, and yet he felt he could do it forever without getting tired of it.

Of course, that was only an illusion; Katsu pulled at both their trousers, demanding they come and see what he had done to the kitchen.


End file.
